On a crisp Monday evening in Brussels, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium played host to a celebration of global travel. The occasion was the 2026 World Tourism Awards, and among the winners was a homegrown success story. Travel Tomorrow, a digital publication launched in the Belgian capital, was named Best Platform for Tourism Promotion.
The award came during the opening gala of the Global Tourism Forum, a two-day gathering that brought policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to Brussels. Travel Tomorrow serves as a media partner for the forum, so the recognition felt particularly fitting. The ceremony itself was a glittering affair, with 20 awards handed out across categories ranging from sustainable tourism to innovation.
Travel Tomorrow's journey began in June 2020, a time when the world was still figuring out how to move again. Borders were closed, planes were grounded, and no one knew when travel would return. Founder and CEO António Buscardini launched the publication in that uncertainty, with a simple mission: to help people understand the decisions shaping how we travel. Six years later, the site attracts more than 20 million visitors a year, with roughly 70% of its audience coming from the European Union.
“This is a proud moment for all of us at Travel Tomorrow,” Buscardini said after receiving the award. “We launched in Brussels at a time when people didn’t know when they’d be able to travel again. Six years on, receiving this award in the city where we started means a great deal. It belongs to our team, who work every day to help readers discover places and understand the decisions that shape how we travel.”
The gala also honored Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, who received the Tourism Person of the Year award. Just five days earlier, he had helped unveil the EU's first-ever Sustainable Tourism Strategy, a framework designed to boost the sector's competitiveness while helping destinations manage tourism responsibly. For travelers, that strategy could mean more balanced crowds and better protections for popular spots. You can read more about what it means in our breakdown of Europe's new tourism strategy.
The Global Tourism Forum itself tackled big questions about the future of travel, from investment and security to traveler confidence. One recurring theme was that getting people to their destinations is only half the battle. As our coverage of the Brussels forum noted, the real challenge lies in making the journey itself smoother and more sustainable.
For Travel Tomorrow, the award is a validation of its editorial approach. The publication covers EU tourism policy, aviation and rail news, sustainability efforts, and cultural stories from across the continent. It also keeps an eye on how destinations are managing the pressures of popularity, from Brussels' Airbnb crackdown to innovative ideas like new tourism scorecards that measure success beyond just visitor numbers.
As the evening wound down and the last awards were handed out, one thing was clear. Travel journalism has a vital role to play in shaping the future of tourism, and Brussels has become an unlikely hub for that conversation. For travelers, that means more informed choices, better destinations, and a industry that's learning to listen.
